Operation: Soundcrime - 49%

After the first examination of the album I was kind of devastated. I thought it was a joke or something, as I could not find any song that would strike me down with thrilling sounds. A lot of time has passed and... well, not much changed since then (perhaps except for the fact that I came to admire 2 or 3 songs). Basically, Mindcrime II sucks.

The album is exceptionally boring. It is comprised of excessive number of short tracks glued together with transitions that are almost all the same. Vast majority of tracks sound very much alike and there is little variety in melody. In terms of vocals, Tate's voice got distinctly deteriorated since "The Warning" and he frequently sounds as if he was on a hangover.

From the very beginning we are exposed to a string of flatness which starts from a boring intro comprised of "Freiheit Ouvertüre" and "Convict". "I'm American" is fast and catchy but it is shamelessly simple and pallid. "One Foot in Hell" is somewhat better but nevertheless it lacks character. It is followed by one of the best tracks on the album, namely "Hostage". Then there is terrible "The Hands", followed by equally awful "Speed of Light" and catchy, but still flat in the long run, "Signs Say Go". "Re-arrange You" is in the similar mood as "The Hands" and "Speed of Light" but at least it has got quite a decent refrain. Its ending and the beginning of "The Chase" combine into one of the best transitions on the album. Actually both tracks could be one and probably no one would notice. "The Chase" is short but brilliant, particularly due to the guest appearance of Ronnie James Dio as Dr X. Well, up till the very end we are exposed to a barrage of nothing-specials interrupted ocassionally by decent "Murderer" and very melodic, which is rare in the case of OMII, "Junkie's Blues". The concluding track "All The Promises" is exceptionally out of place due to the sleepy mood it displays and the overwhelming averageness it abounds with.